


Requiem for a Trollhunter

by elizabethemerald



Series: Trollhunters Fall, Fall and Fall Again [1]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 23:58:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/pseuds/elizabethemerald
Summary: A trollhunter falls. A boy mourns his best friend. A teacher mourns his pupil. A girl mourns her boyfriend. And a mother mourns her son.





	Requiem for a Trollhunter

As Jim rounded the corner with baby Enrique asleep in his arms, he saw it. The Bridge! He had made it. But before he could celebrate, he heard the sound of the Gumm-Gumm hoard approaching, heavy armored footsteps echoing around him. He ran towards the bridge as fast as he could, the Gumm-Gumms hard on his heels. 

* * *

Toby, Clair, Draal and Blinky fought desperately to hold off the Krubera. The Bridge stood behind them, awaiting the return of the Trollhunter. The amulet at the peak of the bridge started to flash dully. It had to be Jim returning; he had made it! If they could only hold off for a little while longer, but one by one they were bashed aside by the stronger fighters. 

Blinky yelled at Ursurna, Queen of the Krubera, from where he had been thrown, “You are condemning the boy!”

The Krubera approached the Bridge, ready to destroy it. The amulet cast a bright light over the entire Bridge and the doorway at its base opened, revealing a dark portal. Toby yelled and ran forward but was hit by one of the Krubera and fell back. Ursurna gave the order to destroy the Bridge. The massive trolls began to smash it apart with their stone maces. As the Bridge began to collapse, Claire heard Jim’s voice and the cries of her brother. She ran towards the Bridge, vaulting over one of the Krubera. 

* * *

Jim ran towards the collapsing Bridge. He tripped, falling hard, the Gumm-Gumms right behind him. Jim scrambled to his feet and fought to get past the falling rubble of the Bridge. In the distance he could see Claire’s head pop up from the portal. He ran with all his might towards her outstretched hand. As soon as he grabbed her hand, he felt the cold grasp of the Gumm-Gumms on his shoulders. He shook them off and lunged forward away from the Gumm-Gumms as the Bridge collapsed fully, passing Enrique to Claire’s waiting hands.

He pulled himself back to stare in horror. The Bridge was completely collapsed. He had almost made it out of the Darklands. “I was right there.”

He turned to face the glowing spears of the oncoming Gumm-Gumms.

* * *

Claire held her brother, tears running slowly down her face. 

“You’ve killed him!” Toby screamed as he grabbed his warhammer and tried to swing at Ursurna. The closest Krubera stopped him. The queen and her soldiers turned to leave the vault room, but a sound behind them halted them in their tracks. 

_ “Draal son of Kanjigar.” _

They all recognized that voice. Everyone turned towards the pile of rubble. 

“Jim is alive!” Claire exclaimed happily as she leapt towards the Bridge and began moving rocks.

_ “Draal son of Kanjigar.” _

Jim’s voice echoed again from the pile. Everyone in the room turned as one to watch Draal approach the amulet where it had fallen. All color drained from Claire’s face as she watched him. The face of the amulet turned several times until the language on the rim was Trollish. Draal’s mouth hung open for a second before he read the inscription. Even in Trollish, the words were unmistakable. 

“For the Glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!”

Glowing balls of light flew out of the amulet. The pieces of armor appeared out of the air, resizing to fit Draal’s form. After the last piece snapped into place, Daylight appeared in his outstretched hand. It grew just like the armor had. Finally the light show ended, leaving nothing but a stunned silence in the room. Claire’s eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open. Toby’s sobs came fast and hard. He could barely breathe past his tears. Ursurna had approached while Draal donned the armor. Now she spoke. 

“So you will be our new Trollhun-” She stopped as the Sword of Daylight swung to rest against her throat. The Krubera tried to approach, but Ursurna waved them back. Daylight was so close to her throat that she could feel her sensitive skin starting to burn. 

“I am Draal the Deadly, son of Kanjigar the Courageous. And you are no longer welcome here. Leave this place. Leave Trollmarket. Return to the deep pit you came from.”

“How dare you threaten me!” Usurna said, her voice rising. 

“I will do much more than threaten. Your soldiers could barely defeat me before. Now I have the sword that I trained my entire life to wield. None of you will remain alive if you remain here,” Draal growled. 

Quickly, Ursurna led the Krubera out of the vault room. Draal watched them until they were out of his sight, then collapsed to his knees. “Jim…”

They would have sat there forever had Enrique not started crying. Claire stared at the baby in her arms as if surprised to find him there. Her tears had stopped, shock overwhelming her. 

Blinky seemed to come back to himself. “The first-” he paused as his voice cracked. “The first thing we need to is return this child to your parents.”

Claire turned her distant gaze on him. “How can we do anything? Jim is… is…” She stopped to take a deep shaking breath, but still no tears fell. 

“Think Claire!” Blinky’s voice was sharp, and Claire and Toby flinched at the sound. “NotEnrique can no longer transform to maintain his disguise. Your parents will notice that their child is either missing or has been replaced with a troll!”

His voice softened as he ran his hands through his hair. “I would go myself to deliver him, but it still day above. You must portal to your home, then return here.”

He put his lower two hands on her shoulders. “I’m so sorry Claire.”

Claire nodded and, without a word, grasped her shadow staff. Toby rose and walked up to her. She stared at her brother for few seconds then effortlessly tossed a portal across the room. She and Toby hurried through the portal and disappeared. . 

Blinky looked sadly at Vendel, but for once the old goat had no words. He looked like every day of his many centuries each rested on his shoulders as a seperate weight. Vendel sighed and turned away. Before he left the vault room he turned, “I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry I didn’t do more.”

Draal stood after the white troll had departed. “There’s something I need to do,” he mumbled, then left as well. 

That left Blinky by himself. He stared at the remains of the Killahead Bridge. Somewhere on the other side of that portal his young charge had fallen, so close yet too far away from him. He turned and slowly trudged away. 

* * *

Draal found himself wandering Trollmarket. He avoided the other trolls as best he could,  but he knew some had seen him and the armor he now wore. He couldn't relax enough to remove it. Soon all of Trollmarket would know of Jim’s death. Know of his failure to protect him. 

He wandered without aim or reason, but soon found himself at the Hero's forge, the hallowed hall where trollhunters trained and sparred. Draal had fought Jim here, hoping to crush him, and peel the armor off the flesh bag. He shook his head. The arrogance. Now Draal would have given up the armor gladly to bring Jim back now. 

He drew Daylight from his back. The sword fit his hand like it had been forged just for him. He began going through the same positions he had trained Jim to do after the boy defeated him in their match. 

The motions brought him closer and closer to the center of the arena until he stood on the two footprints in the center. Where his father had stood. Where Jim had stood. At his thought, the Soothscryer rose from the arena floor. Draal sighed deeply and walked towards the scryer. He almost feared what would happen, but he still placed his right hand into the maw. As if there was a hook caught in his insides, Draal was yanked into the Soothscryer.

* * *

Claire and Toby stepped out of the portal into her bedroom and hurried into Enrique's room. Everything was just how Claire had left it yesterday. She looked around, but couldn't see any trace of NotEnrique, though she noticed several of his favorite belongings were missing. Claire guessed he had realized he couldn't transform and departed. One more loss for her. 

She put her brother in his crib. They both sat and stared at the baby for a moment, each with their own thoughts. Would she have traded the boy she loved for the brother she had so desperately missed, if she had known? 

As they turned to leave, Enrique began crying. Claire hustled Toby back to her room and closed the door. Her parents didnt know she was home. She heard her mother come upstairs to comfort Enrique, with her father not far behind. After a few moments, her father said, “Asleep in your arms? Are you sure this is really our son?”

Toby muffled a sob and Claire took a deep shaky breath. She looked dully at her shadow staff. She knew without trying that she wouldn't be able to activate it. She couldn’t feel anything at all, much less any emotions strong enough to portal. When she gestured to the window, Toby seemed to understand. They still hadn't said a word since leaving the vault chamber. 

Carefully and quietly they eased the window open,and climbed out onto the roof. On their way down, Claire feared they might fall. Toby was still crying softly and her hands were shaking, but they made it to the ground just fine. Together they walked into the woods. 

Trollmarket was farther from Claire's house than it was from Toby's, so they had some time to themselves among the trees. His tears had slowed to the point where he could see her clearly. Toby opened his mouth several times but each time closed it with a snap. 

“Claire…” he began but was cut off as she yelled and threw her shadow staff at a tree. It clicked and extended to it's full length, fully black and pulsing with power. 

“Why did he have to go into the Darklands? Why didn't he bring us with him? Why did he have to be so damn selfless?”

“Claire, I-” Toby started, holding his hands up. Claire gestured toward the fallen shadow staff and, to her surprise as much as Toby’s, the staff flew into her hand. She swung it at a tree, knocking a branch flying. 

“Why don't you just say it, Toby? I killed him.” She turned and swung at Toby. He dodged then activated his war hammer to block a second strike. “I was the one who kept pushing him to get Enrique back. I was the one who made him go in there. I killed Jim!”

Toby hooked his hammer on her staff and sent it spinning into the woods. That didn't stop her; she kept swinging with her bare fists. 

“Claire, you didn't kill Jim. The Gumm-Gumms did!”

She reached out her hand to where the staff had flown. It again jumped into the air and  flew towards her. But this jump seemed half-hearted, and it skittered along the ground a few feet before rolling to a stop. Claire collapsed to her hands and knees, sobbing. She turned to face Toby, a hint of purple glittering in her brown eyes. 

“How can I ever face my brother again, knowing Jim died for him to be free?” she sobbed. 

Toby collapsed his hammer. He walked over and grabbed the shadow staff off the ground and handed it back to Claire. As it touched her hand, it clicked back into its travel form.  

Toby put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you think I don't blame myself too? If I had fought harder I could have held them back longer. If I had trained harder maybe he would have trusted me to come with him.”

Claire looked at his face for a moment, then hugged him. They held each other for a long time, both of them shedding tears. After they had cried as much as they were able Claire leaned back, “Let's get back to Blinky, he's probably worried sick.”

She picked up her staff, activated it to its full power and tossed a portal. They walked through it, their arms supporting each other. 

* * *

It was true. Blinky had made himself sick with worry, but not just over what was taking Claire and Toby so long to return. He couldn’t dwell on what was delaying them. He couldn't even dwell on how another pupil of his had met a grisly end. He couldn't dwell on these things because he had thought of something that none of the others had. Or rather, someone. 

Barbara Lake. 

Somehow, Barbara would have to be told. Everything Master Jim had ever told him about his family ran through his mind. The boy's father had abandoned him and his mother without another word. Jim had confessed to Blinky once that one of his greatest fears as a Trollhunter was dying somewhere without his mother ever finding out. What if she thought he had left her just like his father had?

Blinky absolutely could not let his charge’s mother wallow in uncertainty, never knowing the fate of her son. But how could he tell her? While Trollmarket prepped for the attack from Angor Rot, Jim had let slip that he had hidden the truth from her again, lying now that her memories of trolls had been erased. 

Harebrained scheme after harebrained scheme flowed through Binky’s mind. Perhaps by using the changeling mask they could pretend another body was Jim's. But where would they find a body that would pass inspection by a woman who was both a doctor and a mother? And what if the mask was removed when the body was prepared for burial? Perhaps Toby could continue to pretend to be Jim, and buy them some time to come up with a better solution. No. Toby had already been tearing himself apart lying to Dr. Lake. If Blinky forced him to pretend to be his fallen best friend, Toby would likely join Jim in the Void. 

He paced rapidly around his library with two hands clasped behind his back and two gesturing wildly in front of him. He avoided making eye contact with Aaarrrgghh’s stone form. Whenever he faced his old friend, it seemed that Aaarrrgghh’s eyes showed nothing but disappointment. 

Blinky was halted mid stride by a portal opening up in front of him. Toby and Claire walked out supporting each other. He opened his mouth to ask them what took them so long, but closed it when he saw their reddened eyes and tear-streaked faces. 

“Enrique is with my parents,” Claire reported without being asked. “They never noticed his absence. But it looks like NotEnrique has vanished.” 

“He's a scrappy fellow. I'm sure he will be fine. But we have another problem to face.” Blinky regretted bringing it up when they turned tired eyes still wet with tears towards him. But he dared not delay. “We need to find some way to tell Barbara about Master Jim without revealing that he was the Trollhunter.” 

Both of their eyes widened when he mentioned Barbara. Claire and Toby sagged as the reality of their situation weighed on them. This was too much for two sixteen year olds. Toby collapsed into one of the chairs and put his head in his hands. Claire dropped her staff, now in travel form, on the table with a clatter. She leaned on the back of Toby's chair like she hadn't any strength left in her. 

“No!” Draal’s voice echoed from outside the library. He stomped in, still wearing the Armor of Daylight, and grimaced at the state of the two children. Draal grasped the amulet and pulled it from his chest, taking the armor with it. “We will not lie to Barb-ar-a any more.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Blinky asked. 

“I have entered the Soothscryer. Jim has been accepted into the Void between the Worlds.” 

Claire was across the room in a heartbeat. She had Draal’s hand in her hands. “You saw Jim! You saw him! Can I-”

“No,” Draal cut her off. “I saw him in the Void. We talked briefly about what he desires. I’m afraid you can’t enter the Void.”

She was crestfallen, her shoulders slumped and she leaned against the table again. Toby hopped up from his seat. “What did Jimbo say?”

“Jim has stated his regret for leaving you all. And his regret for lying to Barb-ar-a. He would like us to tell her the truth. All of it. Trolls. Trollhunting. All of it.”

“She does deserve to know,” Claire said. “She deserves to know exactly what he meant to all of us. What he did for all of us.”

“I don’t know how easy it will be to explain to her. But Claire and I can try.” Toby said. He passed Claire’s staff to her. 

“Draal and I can go with you,” Blinky said. “Our presence might help clarify things.”

“I don’t have any portal locations that would be safe for you two with the sun still out.” Claire said.

“That’s alright. You and Tobias go to Master Jim’s house. Draal and I will travel through the sewers to the tunnel in the basement.” 

* * *

Claire and Toby stepped out of the portal in the middle of the street between Jim and Toby’s houses. It was their shortcut back home from school. Claire had used it often in the past couple of weeks, making sure that Toby was home and disguised before Barbara found out. She thought back on how they had tried to hide the fact that Jim was gone from Barbara for two weeks. The changeling mask allowed Toby to pass as Jim, but there were a lot of other problems to face. Thankfully Jim had left his shoulder bag in Blinky’s library when he entered the Darklands. The bag had his house keys and his cellphone in it. Toby was able to guess the password on the phone after only three guesses. Claire had been so excited, if Barbara texted Jim or called him they could respond so she wouldn’t suspect anything. She just needed the password from Toby. At first he wouldn’t give it to her. It only took her getting locked out of the phone twice to guess it herself. 

Now, they were both glad to see that Barbara’s car was not in the driveway. She wasn’t home yet. Toby let them in with Jim’s key. He slipped into the house and, almost on instinct, pulled out the changeling mask and went to put it on. They both looked at it for a moment, then Toby set it on a shelf with Jim’s bag. 

Toby went into the kitchen to scrounge some food. He also put the tea kettle on, figuring that when Barbara arrived home she might need a drink. “Do you know when she will be home?” Claire asked. 

Toby gestured with a bag of chips he pulled out of the cabinet, “Dunno. His phone’s in his bag.” 

Claire pulled the phone out and typed her own name into the lock screen. Of course Jim used her name as his phone lock. Unfortunately, there were no unread messages from Dr. Lake. Claire considered texting her to ask when she would be home, but didn’t want to raise suspicions. Before she could formulate a text, they heard the sound of tires pulling into the driveway. 

“Toby! She's here!” 

Toby came out of the kitchen swallowing the last of the chips he had been eating. Neither of them could relax enough to sit, so they both stood awkwardly in the hallway as Barbara got out of the car and unlocked the front door. 

“Hello Toby. Claire. What are you doing here? Where's Jim?”

They both froze. At that moment, she turned to hang up her coat and bag. When she turned back, they were still stiff. 

“Doctor Lake. Maybe you should have a seat?” Claire asked formally. 

Barbara tensed up. She knew there had to be something wrong. As a doctor she had been on the other side of this conversation too often not to recognize the telltale signs. The two children in front of her were both standing ramrod straight and avoiding eye contact. But she wouldn’t get to the point any faster by pressing them. They both looked liable to bolt like rabbits at any moment. She sat down in her living room. 

Claire seemed to be the first to recover. “Can I get you some tea Doctor Lake?” she asked. 

“Yes, please, Claire, and please call me Barbara.” 

Claire vanished into the kitchen and then reappeared a moment later with a cup of tea. It hadn’t steeped properly, but Barbara wasn’t going to complain, considering her own cooking. Before she could take more than a sip Toby took a huge breath, then unleashed a wall of sound. He spoke so rapidly that Barbara had a hard time following his words. It sounded like he was talking about a video game of some kind. While he rambled on, Barbara idly wondered if she had seen an advertisement for the game he was talking about. Some of the plots seemed familiar. 

Finally, Toby’s narrative came to a halt. He looked at Barbara. “Do you understand?”

Barbara could only shake her head. She couldn’t make heads or tails of what Toby was trying to say. It definitely seemed important to him, though, his hands were waving wildly as he spoke. Claire sat down opposite her. 

“Let me try this a different way,”she said. “Doctor Lake-”

“Barbara, please.”

“Barbara, when you were in the hospital a few weeks ago, what did Jim tell you when you woke up?”

Barbara’s brow furrowed at this question. She couldn't see how it was relevant. She also wasn’t aware that so many people knew about her time in the hospital. Jim had promised not to say anything about it. “He said I hit my head and he drove me to the hospital.”

The two kids looked at each other, an unreadable expression on their faces. Toby sighed for a moment. “That wasn’t the truth, Dr L.”

Barbara felt a chill run up her spine. She latched onto the one part of that sentence she could. “Dr. L, huh? Jim called me that just this morning. He must be picking up some of your habits.” 

They gave each other another look. What was going on with these two? And how was Jim tied up in all of this?

“Do you remember when you went on some dates with Mr. Strickler?”

This conversation did not seem to be going any place Barbara understood, and she was baffled by these unrelated questions. “Yes, I remember dating Walt. And I also remember that he left me without saying goodbye.”

The chill feeling in her spine grew to cover her entire body as Claire continued. 

“Mr. Strickler didn't just leave without a word. Before he left, he really hurt you. That's why you have such a hard time remembering the past couple of months. You almost died. Jim found out and tried to stop Strickler, and was almost killed himself. In fact, all of us have almost died at some point in the past couple of months. One of our close friends did…die.” she stopped and swallowed. Toby choked back a sob. 

What Claire said almost made sense. Barbara’s lack of memory, the sick nightmares she had of Walt and some…thing else, a monster of some kind, it all seemed to fit with Claire’s story. But surely that kind of trauma would leave more obvious marks?  “How was I hurt? I can't see any traces.”

Toby cut in before Claire could speak, “You could say you were drugged.” 

Pieces were starting to click into place. Being drugged for what, months? No wonder her memory was shot. But it still felt off to her somehow. Barbara refocused as Toby continued. It was obvious he was trying to pick his words very carefully. 

“Now all that, except trolls exist. There is a magical world under our feet, one hidden from most humans. Strickler is a changeling. A bad troll. Jim, Claire and I are trollhunters. We fight bad trolls, and protect good trolls. The drug you were given was a spell that bound your fate with Strickler's so that any harm that came to him also came to you. Jim couldn't hurt him. And there was that troll assassin, Angor Rot, who tried to kill you and Jim and also turned my wingman Aaarrrgghh to stone…”

Barbara let him continue talking. He was building up speed again, with tears starting to roll down his face. This was all nonsense of course. The result of overactive imagination. And yet…Barbara found herself starting to believe. Claire had a solid head on her shoulders; she wouldn't be taken by a flight of fancy, and yet here she was comforting Toby as he spoke about trolls and magic. The grief on his face was real. Those weren't crocodile tears in his eyes. And what’s more, it clicked. It all made sense.

She had nightmares of Walter turning into a monster because he  _ was _ a monster. A troll, Toby called him. The other creature she saw in her dreams, that streak of pain in her shoulder that would bring her bolt upright out of the dream, the other trolls she had seen... And Jim. Jim in his armor that shone with its own light. 

Claire turned her head towards the kitchen at a sound Barbara barely registered. She stood up. “I think it might be better to show you.”

Toby looked into the kitchen as well. “Yeah. Please try not to freak out, Dr L.”

They waited for Barbara to nod, then waved to someone in the kitchen. Barbara almost screamed when the creature--no, the troll--came into the living room. It was blue-skinned, with six eyes and four arms. Another troll walked in behind him. This one was massive, light blue, and covered in spikes. 

Like a dam bursting, all Barbara’s memories came back to her. “Mr...Blinky?”

“Its Blink-heh.” He corrected. 

Barbara looked to the other troll. “Didn't you used to live in my basement?” The troll nodded and looked a little abashed. 

“You remember!” Claire was beside her, holding her shoulders. Barbara held her head as the living room spun a little. There was so much to remember.  

“Jim never wanted to lie to you again,” Toby said. “But he was afraid you would get hurt. You almost died, and he didn't want that to happen again.”

“I do remember! I remember Jim had this glowing armor! I don’t know how I ever forgot about that,” Barbara said with a smile. 

“Oh, you mean this armor?” Draal smiled and pulled out the Amulet of Daylight. Barbara didn’t understand the Trollish he spoke, but she recognized the cadence. Her eyes widened as the armor encased the troll. Once she recognized the armor, her eyes got even wider. 

“Where is Jim?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm. Everyone looked away. Feet shuffled, throats cleared. Several times, one of them opened their mouths, but then closed them without saying anything. 

“Where is my son?” Barbara’s voice had risen a little. 

Blinky finally approached her. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder as he said, “Barbara, please-”

She slapped his hand away. “I know this armor. Jim told me about it. He said it chose him, that it was his destiny. He said it chose him to protect people. Why is he not here wearing it? He would never give it up willingly. Where is MY SON?” The last came out as a scream. 

When the others hesitated, Barbara glared at them, then she said, “Do you think you being made out of stone will stop me from beating you to death with my bare hands? Tell me, where is Jim!?!”

“He’s dead.” Barbara turned with the others to face Claire again. “He died this morning.”

The words felt like a knife twisting in her gut.  Barbara stumbled backwards, falling into a sitting position on the couch. Her voice sounded alien in her ears as she said, “How did he die?”

They all gathered around her on the couch. Claire started the tale and each took a turn to explain. 

“He went into the Darklands to save my baby brother.”

“The Darklands are a twisting labyrinth where most of the evil trolls were banished centuries ago.”

“The tribunal wanted to destroy the Bridge--the only path into the Darklands.”

“We tried to stop them, but they were too strong. Right after the Bridge collapsed, Draal was called as the new Trollhunter.”

“And that means he died?” Barbara asked in a tired voice. This all seemed too much. 

Blinky picked up the story again. “Yes. The Amulet of Daylight will only call a new Trollhunter after the previous one has fallen. We tried everything we could these past two weeks to get Master Jim out in one piece. But to no avail.”

“Two weeks?” Barbara whispered. 

“But he did it!” Toby declared. Even through his grief he seemed almost triumphant. “He saved Enrique, Claire’s little bro.”

“What did you mean by two weeks?” Barbara said, slightly louder

“It was so cruel. He was so close to us. He was almost home free.”

“Mr. Blinky!” Barbara yelled over the hubbub. Once the others had quieted, she continued at a normal volume. “My son has not been missing for two weeks. I saw him just this morning.”

They all shared another look. How she was getting tired of these shared looks! 

“I’m so sorry, Barbara. We didn’t know when he would return. We had to keep you in the dark,” Claire said. “Show her, Toby.”

Toby walked over and grabbed a strange mask off the shelf. Barbara idly noticed that Jim’s bag was sitting on the shelf as well. Toby took a breath and placed the mask on his face. And her son was there. Jim stood there, skinny legs, black hair, blue jacket, and all. His eyes stood out the most. They were her eyes, the same startling, amazing blue. 

“I’m sorry, Doctor L,” her son’s voice said. The memory of this morning flashed across Barbara’s mind. The strange way Jim had talked, the terrible cooking, even the way he moved had been wrong. She had been so confused about the holes in her memories, that she hadn’t paid enough attention to her son to see the lie for what it was. 

Everyone sat in silence. Barbara found herself on her feet. She must have stood up at the sight of Jim. Toby pulled the mask off again, and her son disappeared. Barbara’s body trembled. 

“Two weeks?” Her voice shook with rage. “My son was fighting for his life for TWO WEEKS and you hid it from me? You lied to me? And now my son is dead and I never even got to say goodbye!” Barbara  was screaming the words, her hands grasped at her hair, nails digging into her skin. How could they! She was his mother; they should have told her sooner! Her thoughts whirled furiously and she could hardly see straight. Toby and Claire moved closer  together. 

The movement dragged her attention to them. At Barbara’s glare, Toby stumbled back and fell onto the couch, dragging Claire with him. Barbara stood over them, breathless with rage. Her brain couldn’t even process what she wanted to do to them for lying to her. 

Then she looked into their eyes. In both she could see guilt and fear in equal portions. They feared what she would do, what she would say. But they also would do nothing to stop her. The set of Claire’s jaw and the way Toby forced himself not to look away belied their guilt. It was almost like they wanted her to scream and throw things. They were tearing themselves apart inside with their feelings. And worse, she could see in their eyes such an incredible sorrow, one she knew was reflected in her own eyes. 

These two were children! Her son’s age. How often had Jim come home and talked about the beautiful Claire in his class? How often had Jim and Toby come home laughing together after the walk home from school? They were so close. They were trollhunters together. And they were there in his last moments. They missed him. They missed him as much as she did. 

How could Barbara stay mad at them? She had become a doctor because she loved caring for hurting people. And here were two children who were hurting, who had seen their best friend die in front of them. They needed her. Barbara suddenly saw herself as two people. One, the terrifying woman furious at her son’s death. The other, the soft mom putting a bandage on her son’s knee. And she understood Jim, possibly for the first time. He had to put others in front of himself. That selflessness sent him to this Darklands they spoke of. He truly was his mother’s son. 

Barbara knelt down in front of the two children and pulled them into a tight embrace. At first they stiffened and flinched, expecting hard words or hard blows. Then, they melted into her arms. Claire’s small body heaved with sobs, and Barbara could feel Toby’s tears on her shoulder. She cried too, letting tears fall. She felt a large hand on her back. Then another on her shoulder. Blinky and Draal had joined them. Toby and Claire didn’t hesitate to include the two trolls in their hug. Together they let their grief show for the one person who had brought them all together. 

* * *

Barbara had been only mildly perturbed to find a tunnel in her basement that lead into the sewers. The trip down the tunnel to Trollmarket had been mostly quiet, only their footsteps and an occasional sniffle sounding in the darkness. Soon, they were standing in front of a concrete wall in the canals. Barbara had been mostly unconscious for this part of the trip last time, so she was looking forward to seeing what this was really like. 

Claire pulled a small crystal out of her bag and formed an arch on the wall. When she put her hand on it, the doorway opened up. Barbara and the trollhunters walked through. She would have turned to watch the door close if the crystal stairway hadn’t started to light up in front of her. Her eyes followed the crystals as they started to glow, illuminating the way to the bottom. 

Toby had been the one to suggest returning to Trollmarket after they had held each other for long enough. He’d said that Barbara needed to see it and remember it this time. And so they were here. 

They walked down the steps into the open air. Barbara could see the glow of the Heartstone in the distance. Trolls of all kinds walked around Trollmarket, some hawking their wares. Many of them stopped and stared at the trollhunters. A small crowd of trolls gathered as they made their way down the last few steps. 

“What is a human doing here?” One of the trolls shouted. How short their memories were! Barbara thought, and here she was the one with her memory magically erased. Before she could say anything Draal let out an earth-shattering roar. 

“This is Barb-ar-a Lake, mother of James Lake Junior, the Trollhunter, Slayer of Bular, and Angor Rot. The Protector of Heartstone Trollmarket. And you will show her respect!”

Draal walked to the bottom step, the Amulet of Daylight in his hand. Blinky stood only a step above him, all four hands balled into fists. Claire and Toby flanked Barbara on her left and right. But it never came to a fight. Cutting through the crowd with his staff made of living Heartstone was Vendel. Barbara recognized him as the troll who had healed her and broke Walter’s binding spell. He pushed his way to the front of the gathered trolls and came up the stairs until he was face to face with Barbara. Then, to her surprise and the surprise of all the watching trolls, he knelt before her and placed his massive horned head on the step in front of her. 

“In honor of Jim, who protected us in this place more times than we could count or give him credit for. Thank you for joining us.”

Vendel took Barbara’s arm and lead her forward through the crowd and through the marketplace. Toby and Claire stayed half a step behind her. Blinky and Draal were right behind them. It seemed like every other troll in Trollmarket followed as well. At Vendel’s command the glowing stones seemed to dim, casting an even more ethereal light on their surroundings. The winding procession found itself entering the Hero’s Forge. Vendel  leaned over to tell Barbara in a whisper that this was where all trollhunters trained. It was where Jim had trained. 

In the center of the arena stood a strange statue. Vendel called it the Soothscryer. Some smaller trolls ran to bring some chairs for Barbara, the children, and Draal and Blinky. As they settled into seats around the Soothscryer, the stands that looked down on the Forge filled with more and more trolls. A few others sat around the trollhunters.

Vendel stood in the center. Once everyone was gathered he began speaking. 

“We are gathered here to mourn the loss of our Trollhunter. He died answering the call of a young human. And if we could, we would inter him here with the rest of our trollhunters.”

Barbara looked up at the statues above them. She recognized the armor they all wore. She almost felt like they were watching her. Would this have been Jim's fate had he not died in another world? 

The older troll continued speaking. “If any of you have some tale of heroism of the fallen, some tale to lighten our hearts, please step forward.”

Draal was the first to rise. He told the story of the slaying of Bular the Vicious. Barbara listened as Draal described the fight at Killahead Bridge, in the museum. How bravely Jim had fought. The tale culminated in the fight above the Arcadia Canals and the death of Bular. 

Toby jumped up as soon as Draal sat down. He told the story of the slaying of Angor Rot. The fight for Trollmarket, the crystal golems Angor Rot had created. Toby’s voice broke and tears flowed easily when he talked about the death of Aaarrrgghh and the team up finisher with Claire's portal. 

Blinky was the next person to stand up. By this time Barbara had realized they were telling these stories as much for her benefit as for their own. She didn't know the kind of hero her son was. They wanted to immortalize him, not just in their minds, but also in hers. Blinky told another tale of the Battle of Killahead Bridge, but included other details that Draal didn’t focus on. He focused more on the build up to the battle and on the tricks they used, like Jim’s clever ploy of using the chubby tracker. 

Next up was Claire. She told about how she had first found out about trolls and Jim’s trollhunting when Jim had come to save her from the goblins. Barbara noticed she pointedly added more details about the intersection between trollhunting and Jim’s day-to-day life. So this was what had happened when he had to be taken to the hospital. Coyotes indeed. Claire eventually sat down as well. Tears flowed down her face. Barbara reached out her arm to welcome the girl onto her seat. Eventually, Toby moved to sit with her as well. The chair was proportioned for trolls, so the three of them fit easily. She kept her arms around them as other trolls came forward to speak. Toby shared food from his bag with the other humans as the stories continued. Though, Barbara noted, some of the food had come from her own cupboards. 

One troll--who Barbara assumed was female, though she had no idea how trolls defined gender--talked about one of Jim’s first calls, capturing a rogue gnome that had invaded her shop. Another told the story of watching the matches between Draal and Jim. Draal didn’t seem proud of these stories, if the way he fiddled with the amulet was any indication. Vendel told the story of Barbara’s healing. This was no warrior’s epic. It was a story about a boy who loved his mother. It pulled at Barbara’s heart to hear how Jim had watched over her. How he had fought to bring her to Trollmarket. How he had argued with Walter to ensure the spell was broken. In between each story, Blinky got back up to tell another. He was a natural storyteller. Barbara could tell that he was specifically telling many of these stories to just her. They were all about the lives Jim saved, and the trolls and people he protected. 

Hours passed with different stories about Jim, but finally they seemed to run thin. When there was a longer break, Barbara herself stood up and took the center. She looked at them all. The people and trolls that Jim had saved or fought alongside. She let her smile cover all of them as she started to speak.

“Thank you for your stories. Thank you protecting my son when you could. It is clear he was dearly loved by you all. Just as he was here for you, so has he always been here for me.”

She briefly told the story of James leaving her. How she had woken up to find him trying to silently pack. She told them how James had refused to answer her questions, and had only gotten in the car and driven away. She had turned her tear-stained eyes away from the receding tail lights to see Jim’s small face in the window. She had gone in and held him close. Together, they had promised to always be there for each other. They would have to strive every day to take care of each other. She talked about finishing medical school while working full time to keep the roof over their heads. About waking up every morning from the time Jim could hold a skillet and safely use a knife to a delicious breakfast. Just the two of them had attended her graduation. Despite everything, despite the awful long hours she worked at the clinic, he still always cared for her and did everything he could to help out. 

As she spoke there was a slight shift in the crowd that grew to a rumble. She turned to see what they were looking at, and the statue behind her, the Soothscryer, awoke. The gears in it’s mouth spun up, creating a grinding sound. All six of its eyes glowed with a ferocious light. And out of the statue stepped…Jim. He stood there for moment, shining in his armor. 

“Hi mom.” His mouth quirked up in that little half smile of his. Barbara ran to him, her arms outstretched, and passed right through him. 

“I can’t stay long, but there is a lot I have to say.” He turned to his friends. “Toby, Claire, Blinky, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left you behind. It was stupid of me to go in by myself. I just didn’t want to see anyone else get hurt. I messed that up didn’t I?” He chuckled, and turned to Toby. Toby was crying hard, barely able to look at the apparition. 

“Toby, you were the best friend any guy could ask for. You were amazing since long before we found the amulet together in the canals. I wish I could still be with you, to see the amazing things you’ll do with that war hammer.”

Next, Jim turned to Blinky. His teacher clasped all four of his hands together in front of him. “You were the best teacher I could have ever had. Please don’t see this as your failure. In the past months, you’ve been like a father to me.”

Blinky smiled at him. “I was never going to be able to change your nature. It was your humanity that drove you to protect others. And it was that which made you a good Trollhunter.”

Jim briefly looked at Draal. They nodded to each other. Draal could enter the Void at any point to speak to Jim, and they had already spoken. Next Jim turned to Claire. He reached out his hand to touch her cheek. It passed through her, making her shiver a little. She looked at his face, and put her hair behind her ear with a small sad smile on her face. 

“Claire…God, even now I get tongue tied around you. You were wonderful. I…I will always love you. Please don’t blame yourself for what happened to me. I knew I would enter the Darklands to save the babies there eventually. It was a calling. I couldn’t not answer it.” Claire  tried to grab his hand, but let her arms drop to her sides. Barbara noticed from her position facing all the others that it looked like Claire had hints of purple around the edges of her eyes. 

Finally her son turned to Barbara. She smiled at him. He opened his mouth but she spoke before he could. “You look like a real hero. Isn’t this all a mother could ever ask for her child? Loving friends gathered for you, touched by your life. I’ve heard the stories of all that you have done. I’ve heard what they think of you. You are my son. You are my hero. You have always been my hero. My beautiful boy.”

Jim stepped forward to hug her. For a moment Barbara wished with all her might that he might be solid enough to hold one last time. But he wasn’t. He still stood as close to her as he could. He whispered quietly to her, the small soft whispers of a scared child. 

“I’m so sorry mom. I’m sorry I didn't tell you. I’m sorry I lied after you found out. I’m sorry I won’t be there for you. I’m sorry about everything.”

“Shh. Ssshhh. I love you. Jim, I love you. You will always be in my heart, for the rest of my life.” There was a river of tears running down her face, and there wasn’t a dry eye among the gathered trolls. 

He turned away from her, he was already fading. Getting pulled away from her. Back to the void. “Goodbye everyone. I’ll always…” But he was gone, returned to the Void between the Worlds. Claire and Toby were hugging each other, sobs shaking their bodies. Draal comforted Blinky who had his head in his four hands. Vendel came and put a hand softly on Barbara’s  shoulder. 

“Is there anything else Trollmarket can do for you? We owe the mother of Jim much.”

Barbara thought for a moment, watching everyone mourn. “I want to see it.”

Vendel looked at her confused for a second. 

“I want to see the Bridge where my son died.” 

Vendel nodded silently and lead her away. 

* * *

Vendel let them walk into the vault room by themselves. The only people gathered here were Jim’s closest. Draal. Blinky. Toby. Claire. Barbara. Barbara walked up to the shattered remains of the Bridge. She could make out the indent where Jim’s amulet would have rested. She crouched down and rested her head on a triangular stone with a face carved on it, “Goodbye Jim. Goodbye my love, my son."

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fanfiction Debut! I'm hoping to create a bunch of other Trollhunters fanfictions.


End file.
